Galaxy · Spiral
NGC 4800
NGC 4800 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 41.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 41.5 million light-years (12.73 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 28,200 light-years · 0.32 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −19.33 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 11.19 |
| Luminosity | 0.24 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 54m 37.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +46° 31′ 52″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 11.19. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 43° S. North of latitude 43° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in April, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 42 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 736.5 billion years.